BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer
The outspoken Democratic councilman defeated Republican Christi Calvano and independent Donald Klemp for a four-year term as mayor. In January, he will succeed Democrat Bill Neary, who did not seek re-election after 12 years in charge.
Stahl received 10,195 votes to Calvano’s 8,707, while Klemp garnered 942.
The race for two Township Council seats was a bit closer, though the Democrats won those as well.
Incumbent Nancy Pinkin led all vote-getters with 9,791 votes, followed by newcomer Denise Contrino, with 9,224. Republicans Dr. Eugene DeMarzo and Jim Wendell were edged out, with 8,922 and 8,709 votes, respectively.
The election means that Democrats will continue to have control of the governing body, as it has since 1996.
Stahl attributed the win to his record and the hard work he and his runningmates put in leading up to the election. He also said the concrete ideas he presented for township government paved the way for the win.
“It was key for us to talk about the issues,” Stahl said. “It was a question of who had ideas and could provide leadership as we move forward.”
Calvano, a former councilwoman, said she considered it a close race, which showed that the voters are not happy with all that has happened under Democratic leadership.
The Republicans, she said, faced an uphill battle in part due to a recent upsurge in the number of Democratic voters in East Brunswick. The township already had a greater number of registered Democrats.
Calvano felt that the election was more challenging because of the way the majority voted in the national elections, where there was a strong anti-Republican current.
As for the local Republican party, she said it will “keep charging ahead.”

